Jacksonville has eyes on Senior Bowl

Vito Stellino

Wednesday

Aug 26, 2009 at 12:01 AM

Jacksonville is one of several cities trying to lure the Senior Bowl from its current home in Mobile, Ala., where it has been played since 1951.

The Senior Bowl issued a statement Monday that the organization thought it would be "prudent, if not necessary, to consider options" and said it has requested proposals from "multiple cities in the Southeast that have expressed interest."

Mike Bouda, the director of sports and entertainment for the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission, said, "I think Jacksonville has a good shot [to get the game]."

The other cities in the running haven't been identified, but Bouda said he's heard that Tampa, Atlanta and Dallas could be among the candidates.

The game features college football seniors from around the country.

Senior Bowl spokesman Kevin McDermond declined to say why the Senior Bowl might be unhappy with Mobile. Ladd-Peebles Stadium, where the game is played, holds 40,646 fans. Bouda said he thinks that Jacksonville could draw 50,000 to 55,000 fans for the game.

The city lost the Atlantic Coast Conference football championship game. Still, Bouda said that Jacksonville could take the Senior Bowl to the "next level."

Of losing the ACC title game, Bouda said that game was a "while different animal."

"I think this area is huge for college football, but the fans can be very selective," he said.

The Senior Bowl could be a hot ticket next January in Jacksonville if Florida's Tim Tebow plays, but it could be a tougher sell after that.

The Senior Bowl usually attracts many top seniors and is something of a job fair for unemployed coaches because most of the NFL's head coaches and top executives attend the practices during the week. The NFL provides coaching staffs for the game but doesn't run it. The Mobile Arts and Sports Association is in charge of the game.

In last Saturday's preseason game against Tampa Bay, the Jaguars had their smallest crowd ever (42,177 tickets distributed). Bouda said he doesn't understand why the Jaguars are having problems selling tickets.

"There's an inherent difference between college and pro football, whether that's right or wrong," Bouda said of the Senior Bowl. "I think you can sell tickets for the last game to see the top senior players one more time."

He also said, "The biggest problem here is that the board cannot give money."

McDermond declined to comment on whether the Senior Bowl is asking for money, and Bouda said Jacksonville has made "no guarantee of monies up front, not at this point."

Steve Hale, the president of the Senior Bowl, recently visited Jacksonville, Bouda said. Of the next step, Bouda said, "We'll see what happens moving forward."

McDermond said it would not be accurate to characterize the Senior Bowl's interest in other cities as a negotiating ploy to get a better deal with Mobile. Ladd-Peebles Stadium underwent a $2.5 million renovation this year, with the majority of funding coming from the city of Mobile. The game has been a sellout for 14 of the past 15 years.

"I would hate to see it leave, but the board and the city of Mobile have made every effort to try to keep it," Joyner said.

vito.stellino@jacksonville.com, (904) 359-4279

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